Credit : Holly Revell
Set in a world where gods walk among the mortals, this unapologetically queer story follows different characters – all lost in the woods.
Two young trans people find love whilst escaping oppression; a shipwrecked migrant searches for his family; goddesses clash; parents fret; an alchemist brews magic and a teenage Cupid sets hearts on fire – causing chaos and near disaster. And all the while, time is running out!
Galatea was written in the 1580s by John Lyly, William Shakespeare’s best-selling but now long-forgotten contemporary, inspiring Shakespeare’s comedies from As You Like It to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Performed in front of Queen Elizabeth I over four hundred years ago, this tale of love, joy and the importance of welcoming outsiders is an incredibly resonant story for modern times.
Commissioned by Brighton Festival for its World Premiere, this ambitious outdoor production is a major collaboration between award-winning queer theatre maker, Emma Frankland, who adapted this with Subira Joy; LGBTQIA+ culture catalysts, Marlborough Productions; acclaimed Cornish landscape theatre company, Wildworks; and leading theatre historian and editor, Andy Kesson.
Galatea will be performed by a large company in spoken English and British Sign Language, supported by Duffy.
Date
5th – 21st May, times various
£25, Concessions £17.50, Preview £15 Festival Standby £10 Brightonfestival.org
Venue
Brighton Rd, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5LT
